Faces, Figures, Places, and Things

In Richard Colman’s solo show, Faces, Figures, Places, and Things, currently at the Tenderloin’s new Chandran Gallery, relationships take precedence over anything else. With little more than the human form, Colman creates a world of figures that aren’t muted. They’re stately. They’re uncompromising. They’re anything but shy.

Whether they hold dismembered human heads, kneel as couples, or are stacked in impossible cunnilingus pyramids, each figure is boiled down to its most basic form: expressive, streamlined shapes of flat color. Colman's bold subject matter is portrayed on correspondingly oversized acrylic paintings, resulting in a combination that seems like a nod to the ancient world. The flattened and linear subjects possess textual qualities that communicate stories of human interaction, sexuality, and social stratification—not unlike what you might find on the wall of a prehistoric cave or an archaic tomb.

The twist that makes the collection decidedly contemporary is its shocking color palette. Executed in an array of dayglow neons complemented by a full range of muted grays, the impossible color combinations make the show. In Four Heads (Blue), Colman uses color to lead the eye from limb to limb on each of his subjects. At first glance, it’s difficult to tell where one character ends and another one begins; the multiple bodies could almost be read as one. The unnatural twisting of their forms displays an unexpected pattern of teal, indigo, and blush intersected by an abrupt red that rattles the entire arrangement.

Richard Colman. Four Heads, 2015; acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 in. Courtesy of the Artist and Chandran Gallery. 

In a continuation of the same wild color palette, the downstairs section of the gallery is covered with a tremendous floor installation. (The entire gallery measures in at an impressive 6,500 feet—the bottom level alone could be spacious venue.) The flooring is a decidedly heightened version of its canvas counterparts, and the result is satisfyingly overwhelming. During the opening reception, crowds of gallery patrons walk on top of the painted ground, pausing to drink wine, chat about the evening, and gather in excited clumps. The vibrant figures in the floor blend with the people walking above them, and again the multiple bodies could almost be read as one. The entire gallery seems connected, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a room that feels more alive.

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Laura Jaye Cramer was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She currently lives in San Francisco, California, where she writes about arts and culture.

FACES, FIGURES, PLACES AND THINGS. is on view at Chandran Gallery, in San Francisco, through November 6, 2015.